Contending with scorpions is an inevitable nuisance living in the Austin area. The mild winters and humid, hot summers provide the perfect habitat for scorpions to thrive year round. But homeowners can take proactive measures to reduce the risk of scorpions around their property and prevent these venomous pests from taking up residence inside. This guide covers tips for scorpion-proofing your home in Austin.
Understanding Scorpion Behavior
To keep scorpions away effectively, it’s helpful to understand what attracts them in the first place:
- Scorpions seek out areas with plentiful prey like spiders, roaches, and crickets. Controlling these food sources makes properties less appealing.
- They gravitate toward higher humidity around damp mulch, leaky plumbing, and irrigated lawns. Managing moisture removes incentives.
- Gaps and cracks around the home’s foundation provide entry points and daytime hiding spots. Sealing denies access.
- Areas near exterior lighting attract nighttime prey. Adjust lighting to discourage hunting grounds.
- Hollow logs, stacked firewood, and vegetation touching walls give refuge. Removing harborage opportunities limits on-site populations.
Top Scorpion Prevention Tips
Fortify your Austin property against scorpions using these key tactics:
Seal All Potential Entry Points
Caulk and seal any gaps, cracks, or openings over 1/8” that could allow passage into your home. Pay particular attention to cable penetrations, pipes, weep holes, vents, windows, and doors. Copper mesh adds extra protection over vulnerable openings.
Create a Desiccant Zone
Place a 3-5 foot perimeter of gravel, crushed granite, or stone around the base of your home’s exterior. This dry moat deters scorpion’s transition from the yard to your foundation.
Trim All Vegetation Back
Ensure no tree branches, bushes, mulch, firewood piles, or debris are touching or pile up against exterior walls. The contact point facilitates access. Maintain at least 12” clearance.
Install Weather Stripping
Apply weather seals around doors and windows to close any gaps around frames that could permit entry. Door sweeps create an impassable barrier along the bottom threshold.
Reduce Outdoor Lighting
Excessive exterior lighting attracts the insects scorpions prey on. Limit lighting to only where essential for safety and redirect away from the home’s perimeter.
Indoor Scorpion Prevention Tips
Stop scorpions that do find a way inside from establishing residency by:
- Installing door sweeps on all internal doorways to block pest movement from room to room.
- Storing boxes and items up off floors and away from walls to eliminate hiding spots.
- Sealing cracks in walls, flooring, tile, and baseboards that could harbor scorpions.
- Fixing plumbing leaks and controlling humidity that attracts their prey.
- Keeping basements and crawlspaces dry with dehumidifiers.
When to Call a Pest Control Professional
If you are still seeing scorpions regularly in and around your home contact a qualified pest exterminator like Texas Bug Control for advanced solutions:
- Thorough inspection to identify vulnerabilities in your home’s exterior that require sealing, caulking, or mesh.
- Internal and external treatments to eliminate existing populations hiding inside voids and crawlspaces.
- Ongoing preventative treatments every 8-12 weeks to maintain protective chemical perimeter between the exterior walls and interior living spaces.
Don’t tolerate scorpions sharing your living space. Texas Bug Control serves Austin residents with effective scorpion elimination and prevention protocols. Contact us today online for a free quote assessing your property’s risks and recommendations. Our pest experts can solve your scorpion issues for good.
Frequently Asked Scorpion Questions
What times of day are scorpions most active?
Scorpions hunt prey most actively at night but can emerge any time temperatures are moderate and prey is available. Peak times are evenings through early morning hours.
Where do scorpions hide around properties?
Stacks of firewood, lumber, and debris. Within brush piles. Under rocks, logs, and flower pots. Hollow fence posts. Cracks in rock walls. Rodent burrows.
How do scorpions actually get inside homes?
Through tiny exterior gaps around cables, pipes, window and doorframes. Cracked foundations and damaged vent meshes. Following plumbing and wires. Riding on items brought indoors.
What attracts scorpions onto properties and into homes?
Prey like insects, moderate humidity and temperatures, hiding spots, protection from predators and direct sun, vibrations along plumbing lines leading indoors.
What should I do if stung by a scorpion?
Seek medical attention immediately even if symptoms seem minor at first. Capturing and bringing the scorpion assists proper treatment. Anti-venom exists for dangerous stings. Don’t take chances.
Protect your home and avoid the dangers of scorpions inside your living space. A combination of sealing, sanitation, lighting adjustments, moisture control, vegetation management, and professional chemical treatments helps defend properties against infestations. Don’t tolerate scorpions sharing your Austin living space.
